Another delay will have Barça fans anxious and this will naturally raise suspicions that Messi is waiting to see how things develop at the Catalan club. And if he doesn’t like what he see, he would become the biggest free agent in football history in the summer of 2018.

Were that to happen, every club with the financial capabilities would be lining up for his services, but it has always been said that were he to depart the Camp Nou, Manchester City would be his most likely destination. Pep Guardiola, Ferran Soriano, Txiki Begiristain and other friends/allies of the Messi clan are in power at the Etihad and would roll out the red carpet for him.

Messi’s best friend, Sergio Agüero, is also part of the City squad, although the potential arrivals of Messi and Alexis Sanchez (imagine that!) on free transfers next summer could bring an end to Kun’s glorious stay at the club, with Gabriel Jesus certainly going nowhere.

For now, this isn’t something for Blues to get overly excited about, as the odds will still be on him renewing his contract. But it is another possible indication that he is disgruntled by things at Barcelona and could again consider a move next year after almost joining Manchester City in 2016.